Good Vs. Evil, It Ain’t Fair

To The Editor:

We will now justifiably put to sleep and so to death by means of a painless injection, the evil John Couey, the guilty pedophile that abducted, raped and killed 9 year old Jessica Lunsford.

Why then, although also justifiable, would we terminate the mere embodiment of an innocent Terri Schiavo who is in a persistent vegetative state of existence, by means of starvation and dehydration. Although she herself is not even aware of her being, doesn’t she, the fair, deserve the same consideration of passage as he, the fiend?

Dr. Kevorkian, where are you when we need you? Oh yes; we locked him up.

Christopher Nicholas

Bayside

No Absolutes

To The Editor:

During Easter the continuing tragedy of Terri Schiavo haunts every American. The issues raised may one day be confronted by each of us. There are no good or bad people engaged in the controversy. Differing beliefs of what is life and under what basis medical treatment can or should be withheld confound religious leaders, politicians and individuals. The reality is that Schiavo is the public image of an ongoing daily conflict that thousands face.

It would be wrong to condemn any of the participants in the struggle. Assigning evil intentions to the parents or the husband serves no purpose nor does it reflect the truth. Instead of interpreting the motivations of any of the participants it is remarkable that Terri has received their devotion and love for 15 years following the trauma that has left her severely injured. If anything, her parents and her husband should be respected for their compassion.

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus “What is truth”? The answer remains a search pursued by mankind. Experience shows that the answer depends upon many factors that reflect individuality. Absolutes seldom exist and rarely prove to be correct. The questions that seem unable to be answered in the Schiavo matter are not limited to what extraordinary measures are but address the definitions of what is the value of life regardless of consciousness.

Mary Magdalene came upon Jesus after he arose. Jesus told Mary “Don’t hold onto me woman.” The interpretations of this simple dialogue can be debated by the opposing sides in the Schiavo tragedy. The timing of this controversy coming at Easter with its predicate being the Resurrection amplifies the debate. It causes us to pause to seek within ourselves the answer to Pilate’s question for each of us.

Edward Horn

Baldwin, New York

Cell Phone Towers

To The Editor:

Your March 10 editorial entitled "Ignorance Is Not Bliss For Cell Phone Antennas" appears to endorse a blanket policy of stopping the placement of cellular phone antennas on residential rooftops throughout New York City. Such a proposition overlooks the needs of millions of New Yorkers who, every day, use and depend upon wireless communications as a lifeline for public safety, to keep tabs on children and other family members, as well as for personal and business calls.

Thankfully your editorial recognized the growing dependency upon wireless communications among New Yorkers of all ages. Having a wireless phone is no longer a luxury in New York, it is a necessity. Law enforcement, safety organizations and small business owners alike use wireless services to conduct business and keep our community safe.

In order to have reliable wireless services that can keep up with consumer demand in New York, we must have the infrastructure (i.e. cell sites) to support it. This means that cell sites must be located everywhere New Yorkers want to use their cell phone—including at home and in their neighborhoods. Queens should not be overlooked when it comes to ensuring that quality wireless coverage is available throughout the community.

The real lesson here is this: when considering policies about critical communications infrastructure, every effort should be made to find balanced, sensible solutions. Prohibiting cell sites in our neighborhoods is neither balanced nor sensible.

Sincerely,

Greg Carlson

Forest Hills

Roving photographer can be seen on page 35 this week.